Is Permethrin Safe?
Permethrin should be applied to clothing or other fabrics. It is not intended for direct application to the skin. Once Permethrin has dried on the clothing it bind very strongly to the fibers and absorption through the skin is negligible. Any permethrin that may get on the skin inadvertently is poorly absorbed (less than 2% of applied dose). It is rapidly inactivated by skin and liver esterases, its metabolites are then excreted by the kidneys. Occupational exposure to high doses of permethrin has been associated with symptoms of of itching, burning and numbness. Studies have shown permethrin not to be a human teratogen, mutagen, or carcinogen.
